Watching
by HuntressMinerva
Summary: Danny returns as a spirit to watch Rafe, Evelyn and Danny Jr. as they live and grow in Tennessee.
1. Spirit

Chapter One - Spirit 

Tennessee, 1945 

The war was over. 

It was a cold evening, and there was a chill in the air. Rafe McCawley sat in front of his best friend's grave and gently ran his fingers over the engraved words on the tombstone. He had had Evelyn spell it all. It was the least he could have done. 

DANIEL WALKER 1917 - 1942 _For Danny. May you fly forever._

Danny was gone, but Rafe still had him etched firmly in his heart, and he knew he wouldn't ever really be leaving him. That didn't make the grief any lesser though. And although he had tried to make things better for Evelyn, inside the pain still lurked. He could feel it. He could hear it when Evelyn sobbed in their bed and cried out Danny's name in her sleep. He couldn't really blame her though. Danny had been his brother, his friend, and he too had had to endure so many sleepless nights thinking of Danny's face just before he died. 

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Evelyn. "Hey." 

Evelyn sat down beside him. "I miss him." 

He put an arm around her, and she leaned against his shoulder. "I know. Me too." 

*** 

Danny stood behind a tree and watched as Rafe and Evelyn sat wordlessly in front of his grave. They were too preoccupied to notice him, so he had taken the risk of staying visible. They hadn't seen him in the past three years he'd been watching them either. He missed them too, but didn't want to reveal himself. They seemed so happy together, it really wasn't his place to intrude. Sometimes he wished he had listened to Rafe and never gone on the Doolittle Raid. 

_What am I thinking?_ he chided himself for being so selfish. No, he was glad that he'd been able to protect Rafe when he most needed it. 

He heard a faint noise behind him. He turned instinctively. 

Danny Jr., his son, was standing there with a toy plane gazing up at him. 

_Oh, hell!_ thought Danny. He'd completely forgotten that he might be noticed by him. 

Before the child could say anything, he ran over to him, bent down, and put a finger to his lips. "Not a word, Danny," he whispered. "Your mother and Uncle Rafe are busy. I'm a friend. Let's go somewhere and play, okay?" 

Danny Jr. smiled. "Can you play planes?" 

"Yes, I can," replied Danny. "Let's go." 

*** 

_Is this how it feels like to spend time with you son?_ wondered Danny. _I should do this more often._

Tired out, Danny and his son were sitting on the wing of Rafe's plane and silently watching the darkness fall. He ruffled his son's hair. "You're good at this," he said. 

"Uncle Rafe usually plays with me a lot," the boy replied. "He's fun. But you're better." He grinned at Danny. 

Danny felt his heart swell with joy. He reached over and gave his son a warm hug. 

Suddenly, he heard a voice. "Danny! Danny, where are you?" 

Danny let go of his son. "Your mother's looking for you. You'd better go. Don't tell her about me, whatever you do. Okay?" 

The boy nodded, then quickly leaned over and gave Danny a kiss before jumping off the plane. "Will you come back tomorrow?" 

Danny hesitated. Was it really his place to come and interfere with Rafe and Evelyn's life? But it was his son, after all. What harm could it do to spend some time with him? He nodded. "I'll be back, Danny. Goodbye." He was about to fade out when he saw Danny Jr. suddenly turn back. 

"Wait!" the boy cried. "You didn't tell me your name, Uncle - " 

Danny smiled enigmatically. "Call me Danny," he said. Then he faded into invisibility, leaving his young son standing alone. 

*** 

Evelyn McCawley tucked her son into bed and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Goodnight, dear," she said. 

He looked at her with serious eyes. "Mother?" 

"Yes?" 

"What was Daddy like?" 

Evelyn felt the familiar tears return to her eyes, but she blinked them away. "Your Daddy was a wonderful man. He was very sweet, very caring, funny and friendly...he loved little kids. He would have loved you more than anything." 

Danny Jr. thought for a while, then asked, "And I was named after him, right, Mother?" 

"You sure were, dear," said Evelyn. "You are very much like him, you know?" 

"I am?" asked Danny Jr. He yawned. 

Evelyn nodded. "Yes. But I'll tell you about that some other time. You're tired." 

Danny Jr. leaned over and kissed Evelyn. "Goodnight, Mother." 

"Goodnight." She stood up and flicked off the bedside lamp. Then she walked out of the room, lost in thought. Danny Jr. was so much like Danny, it hurt her sometimes to watch him. He had the same seriousness, sincerity, intelligence...and spirit of adventure, she thought, laughing to herself as she remembered all the times he had disappeared on her. She was glad in some ways that her son so resembled his father. It brought some semblance of Danny back into her life. 

She got into bed. Rafe was already asleep. She closed her eyes and before long fell into another fitful sleep. 

Unknown to her, there was somebody watching. Or rather, there was a spirit in her room. 

*** 

Danny was taking advantage of the last few hours of night to watch Evelyn and Rafe as they slept. He missed them so much, but seeing them for a short while each day was all he could handle. He couldn't come out until after sunset, and preferred to be visible when he did come, for the simple reason that being invisible took a lot of his limited energy and would have reduced his already short time amongst them. 

Rafe was fast asleep, his hand on Evelyn's. He was usually tired after a full day's work, but always took time to go and visit Danny's grave and play with his son. He appreciated that. He appreciated Rafe. _What did I ever do to deserve a friend like him?_ he wondered. 

He watched Evelyn toss and turn in her sleep, and wished that he could do something to comfort her, tell her that he was fine and not to worry. On an impulse, he went over to her and stroked her lightly. "It's all right," he murmured softly. For good measure, he leaned around and gave Rafe a small pat on the shoulder. Then he faded out completely. 

*** 

Evelyn awoke with a start. She opened her eyes, half-expecting to find Danny next to her bed. But he was gone. 

_I must have dreamed it,_ she thought. It had seemed so real. She felt a little disappointed. 

Yet the dream had been a comforting one. In it Danny had come to her in her sleep and stroked her gently, looking at her with those amazing warm brown eyes, and told her everything was all right. That alone gave her hope for the future. And in it he had seemed so real, so much more alive than she had ever seen him. It was almost as if he really was all right. 

She felt Rafe stir next to her. He got up and looked around wildly. "Danny?" 

Evelyn stared at him. "You too?" 

Rafe gave her an inquiring look. 

Evelyn looked at her hands. "I dreamed of Danny last night. He was right next to me." 

Rafe nodded and smiled wanly. "Me too, Evelyn." He sighed. "It's been three years, You'd think..." 

Evelyn vehemently shook her head. "No, Rafe. I'll never forget Danny. Never." 

*** 

Author's note: I don't know if this fic seems cheesy or something, but please review, ok? 


	2. Danny

Chapter Two - Danny 

Danny Jr. sat on a rock and pondered. 

He was only about three years old, but like his father had been before him, he was an extremely intelligent and thoughtful three-year-old. From his mother, he had gained his sensitivity. The combination had made him less playful and more given to silent reflection than other boys his age. 

Precocious was a word often used to describe young Danny Jr., and in this case it was fully justified. 

After the strange meeting with the tall, mysterious, dark haired man with the caring smile who said he was called Danny, Danny Jr. had wondered about it for a long time. It had taken him very little time to put two and two together, but much longer to believe it. After all, Danny Jr. knew his father had been killed way back in 1942, and dead people just didn't reappear and play with their children. 

Still, there was too much coincidence to be denied. The stranger Danny had looked exactly like the pictures of his father, and there was the name, and the fact that he was hanging around here, and was good with planes, and claimed to be Uncle Rafe's and his mother's friend. The more Danny Jr. thought about it, the more he was sure he wasn't wrong. 

It was a good thing, thought Danny Jr., that he hadn't learned to be afraid of ghosts yet. 

*** 

Rafe sat down to a breakfast of eggs and bacon with Danny Jr. Evelyn was in the kitchen. It was a Sunday, and one of the rare chances he had to have breakfast with his family. 

He looked at Danny Jr. The boy was being unusually quiet, even for him, and was gazing at the photograph of Danny on the mantelpiece, a look of wonderment on his young but serious face. "Is something wrong, Danny?" asked Rafe. 

Danny Jr.'s head snapped back. He looked at Rafe. "Uncle Rafe? You knew my Daddy very well, didn't you?" 

Rafe felt a lump in his throat. "Yes. Yes, Danny, I did. He was my best friend." 

Danny Jr. chewed absently on his bottom lip. "Mother says I'm very like him." 

_Oh, Danny, you don't know how true that is!_ thought Rafe. He nodded. "You look just like your father did when he was three, like you. And when you grow up I bet you're going to look just like he does in that picture." 

Danny Jr. smiled in acknowledgement, then fell silent as Evelyn returned to the table with more food. 

*** 

Danny was pacing around. It was daytime, and he couldn't go to see Rafe, Evelyn and his son, but he was desperately counting down the hours until he could. When he wasn't doing that, he was locked in an argument with himself on whether or not he should go play with Danny Jr. again. Part of him really wanted to. The other part opposed it, and told him he shouldn't be interfering with the mortals. 

"Something up, Danny?" 

He turned around. Behind him was Betty. She looked just the same as she always had, as innocent and smiling as a newborn. In her eyes, though, burned a hard and jaded fire. She had been through much worse than he had, he knew. She had suffered having to leave home at a young age, and falling in love only to have all her hopes cruelly dashed by Pearl Harbor. _And here I am fussing over such a trivial problem,_ Danny berated himself. But he trusted Betty. Maybe telling her would help. 

"Actually, yes." he said. 

Betty raised an eyebrow. "Well, spill." 

"Yesterday I went down again. To see them." Betty nodded, understanding. Danny took a breath, and continued. "I - I was seen. By my son." 

Betty drew in her breath sharply. "Oh, Danny!" 

"I didn't think there was anything wrong with staying and playing with him for a while, so..." Danny trailed off guiltily. "Besides, he doesn't know who I am. I promised him I'd go back tonight, but now I'm not so sure I should do it." 

He lowered his eyes. "I can't help feeling like I'm being an intruder, but I've also had this nagging feeling ever since playing with him the other day. I've got unfinished business down there on Earth, Betty, and it's him. My son. All I want to do is spend some time with him. But perhaps I ought to just keep my nose out of things." 

"Danny, you promised him," said Betty simply. 

Danny looked up and smiled. She was right. 

*** 

Evelyn thought Danny Jr. was acting particularly strange that night. He had asked to be excused immediately after dinner, not even staying to do the washing up. She looked out the sink window, and saw him running off into the distance, his toy plane in his hand. Oh, well, she thought. She'd just have to run circles looking for him again. It wouldn't be the first time she'd been reduced to a being a bloodhound by her son. 

Rafe looked over at her from his armchair. "Danny's acting weird today, isn't he?" 

Evelyn started. "You think so too?" 

Rafe nodded. "He's been asking lots of questions about Danny. This morning, he asked if he was a lot like his father." 

Evelyn pulled out a chair from the table and sat in it, resting her chin in her hands. "Well, I suppose it's normal for a young boy like him to be curious, especially about his father." 

Rafe picked up a framed picture of Danny from the coffee table, and fingered it thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right, Evelyn." He cast a last wistful look at Danny's smiling face before putting the picture back down. "But I sort of wish he wouldn't do that. He brings back so many memories of Danny in the old days, Danny before we were pilots. He was just the same, just as smart, spirited and independent..." 

Evelyn got up and moved next to Rafe. "I never knew Danny as a child. He must have been adorable," she murmured. 

Rafe looked out the window at Danny Jr., laughing as he chased his plane into the sunset. 

"IF you want to know how Danny was when he was young, Eve," he said, "just look at your son." 

*** 

Danny Jr. knew his mother and Uncle Rafe probably wouldn't come out into the yard again unless they were looking for him. They normally spent Sunday evenings together in the house, and were happy to leave him to his own devices. He liked that, but today he was especially glad of it. 

He caught hold of his plane, and headed to his father's grave. Somehow he knew he would probably reappear there. He was right. 

"Hey, Danny," said the tall man, sprinting towards him. "I told you I'd be back." 

Danny Jr. looked up at his father. _Should I tell him I know?_ he wondered. Then he decided not to. _If he knew I knew,_ thought Danny, _he might not come back again._ So he grinned widely at his father, and held out his plane. "Hi, Uncle Danny," he said. "Can we play again?" 

His father reached over and scooped him up in his arms. "Where are your mother and Uncle Rafe?" he asked quietly. "Do they know you're with me?" 

Danny Jr. shook his head. "You said not to tell them. So I didn't." 

His father sighed in relief. "That's good. Let's go back to the big open field, alright? That's far away from the house, and we won't be seen - I mean, we won't be disturbing your mother and Uncle Rafe." 

Danny Jr. smiled to himself, a small, secret smile. 

*** 

Author's Note: I hope you all like Chapter 2, and once again I hope you don't think it's cheesy. Please review! ~HuntressMinerva 


	3. Reminiscences

Chapter Three - Reminisces 

Danny stood with his son at the edge of the fence. From what he had seen of him, he was a clever and spunky child, but also had a quieter side. _Just like me,_ thought Danny. _Oh, God. He's starting to take over my life...or my non-life, actually._

Danny Jr. looked up at Danny. "Uncle Danny?" 

"What is it, son?" asked Danny before he could help it, then cursed himself for that slip of the tongue. But it couldn't do that much harm, he thought. After all, a lot of grown men called little boys "son". 

"How come you don't want me to tell Mother and Uncle Rafe about you?" 

_How am I going to get out of this one?_ wondered Danny. He smiled, a troubled smile. "Well, let's just say that they probably don't want to see me at this time, but I'm still friends with them. It's just...a little hard to explain. You'll understand it when you grow older." He sighed, and put a protective arm around his son. "But I think they wouldn't mind you playing with me." 

"Have you known them for a very long time?" asked Danny Jr. 

Danny laughed. "Longer than you could imagine, Danny. I've known your Uncle Rafe since I was as young as you. As for your mother..." He hesitated. "I haven't known her for that long. Just a little longer than you've lived." He turned, and smiled a warm smile at his son. "Why all these questions, Danny?" 

Danny Jr. shook his head. "Nothing. I was just wondering." 

Danny's smile faded, and he turned to face the night sky. "I might not be coming back for the next week, Danny." 

Danny Jr. gave his father a bewildered look. "Why not?" 

"Have you forgotten?" asked Danny. "The day after tomorrow is December 7." He lowered his gaze. 

Danny Jr. nodded. 

*** 

Danny Jr. watched as his father disappeared into the distance. He hated not being able to tell him he knew, not being able to ask all those questions he wanted to. He had only known his father for a couple of days, and already he could feel that inexplicable bond between a son and his father. It was a feeling of unconditional love he had never felt around Uncle Rafe. He loved his father, and he knew he was loved by him. He looked forlornly at the toy plane in his hands. How would he ever endure the next week without him? 

He turned, unwillingly, and started on the long trek back to the house. At least, it seemed long to him, a small boy of three. He knew it was very late already. Only a small light flickered in the livingroom window of their house, and he could faintly make out his mother in front of him, running towards him with a smile on her face. 

"Where have you been, Danny?" she asked teasingly as she picked him up and he snuggled in the warmth of her arms. For answer, Danny Jr. merely held up his toy plane. 

His mother laughed. "Uncle Rafe says he used to love toy planes as well." Her smile disappeared briefly. "So did your father," she said, more quietly this time. 

They'd reached the house. His mother bent down, and Danny Jr. jumped out of her embrace and into Uncle Rafe's. But it didn't really feel the same anymore, thought Danny Jr. Not after he had experienced the love of a father. He loved Uncle Rafe too, of course, but it was a different kind altogether. 

*** 

Danny was sitting on the edge of Paradise, a serene expression on his boyish face. 

Betty approached him cautiously from behind. He looked so happy, she didn't want to disturb the reverie. 

Danny turned. On seeing the face of his trusted friend he smiled briefly. "I went down and saw my son yesterday evening." He paused. "The feeling was...indescribable." 

Betty nodded wisely. "I think that's how it feels to be a father. I mean, not that I've ever been a father," she stopped, looking flustered. "But I mean...well, you know what I mean." 

Danny looked away. "I guess I do, Betty. But the more I see him the more I want to see him again, and it's so hard to stay away. I'm just digging myself in deeper and deeper. If fate had intended me to grow old with my son she wouldn't have killed me when she did." 

Betty thought for a while. She had no answer to that. "Maybe she made a mistake," she offered lamely. 

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Oh?" 

"Well, yeah!" Betty said. "Or maybe she just wanted your son to have the best of both worlds. You and Rafe, both loving him like a son." She shrugged. "Maybe all she wanted was to spare your son from having to see you die later." 

Danny sighed. "Good try, Betty, but it doesn't erase the guilt. Anyway, I told him I couldn't see him this week." 

Betty nodded. "That makes sense." 

*** 

_Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 7 1945_

Evelyn, Rafe and Danny Jr. were at Oahu for their yearly visit to Pearl Harbor. Evelyn wasn't sure that Danny Jr., being only three-and-a-half years old, was old enough to recognise the significance of this otherwise lovely place, but nevertheless she insisted on bringing him along. She had told Rafe that no matter what, her child had to grow up knowing the history she had lived through. She had to make sure the enormity of Pearl Harbor didn't diminish down the generations. 

It was approaching sunset. Rafe had taken Danny Jr. to see the airplane hangars. The boy had insisted on going in the evening, because in the day almost all the planes were out flying. Evelyn was left on her own to wander about the once-more bustling harbor. It had been restored as well as possible, but now and then something caught her eye and brought back those memories of 1941. There was the occasional stray war poster, lying tattered on the ground...the busy hospital that hadn't changed one bit...the ships, the sailors, the wrestling matches. 

As she passed by a pillar she thought she heard a noise. She whirled around. 

She caught a faint glimpse, through the darkness, of a very familiar hula shirt before it disappeared round the pillar. She blinked, and ran over to have a closer look. But there was nobody there. 

_This is strange,_ she thought. She could have sworn she heard something, saw something... 

*** 

Danny faded to invisible just as Evelyn came to peer around the pillar. _Man, that was close,_ he thought, heaving a silent sigh of relief. 

As he looked around him and started recognising more and more of his old friends, he decided that perhaps it would be better to stay invisible. He went over to where a whole bunch of them were gathering in the cafe. There was Red, Goose, Sandra...and their families. 

_Their families!_ he thought bitterly. If there was one thing he hated the war most for, it wasn't for separating him from his friends, nor was it for causing him to lose his wings. It was for snatching away the joys and travails of raising a family. 

His friends were seated at the bar, talking excitedly. Danny drifted closer, out of curiousity. 

"Have you heard?" asked Red. "I hear there's talk of setting up a memorial here." 

_A memorial!_ thought Danny. _Why, that'd be perfect._

Just then Rafe walked up with Danny Jr. Rafe took a seat at the bar. "You can wander about," he told the boy, "but stay in this cafe." Danny Jr. nodded, and ran off. Rafe turned to look at Red. "What were you saying?" 

"There's some rumour that there's going to be a memorial here," said Red. "But right now, it's nothing but talk." 

Rafe looked overwhelmed, and when he spoke, his tone was one of joy, tinged with the sadness of the memories. "If you're right, Red, it's the best thing to have happened since the war ended." He lowered his voice, and looked right in Danny's direction. "Danny would have loved it." 

Danny swallowed, blinking away the sudden tears. _I do, Rafe._ he thought. _I do._

*** 

Author's Note: Hi all, here's Chapter Three for your enjoyment (hopefully). I'm not sure how to spell Goose's name, so I adapted as best as I could. Correct me if you do know. Just a little history supplement for those who don't know: The Arizona memorial wasn't built till 1961, and the Pacific War Memorial Commission was set up in Hawaii only in 1949. Thanks for your patience! And thanks to all who have encouraged me in the writing of this fanfic: you guys are the greatest. Please read and review. Flames are welcome as well. Chapter Four is on its way. ~HuntressMinerva 


	4. Truth

Chapter Four - Truth 

_Tennessee, July 21 1947_

It was Danny Jr.'s fifth birthday today. 

As was their custom, Evelyn and Rafe had taken him out to town in the morning. Danny Jr. loved visiting the myriad toy shops, especially the one stocked full of model and toy planes. Evelyn had bought him a brand new one for his birthday, but that didn't deter the young boy in any way from insisting on his customary visit to the toy plane shop. _How like him!_ thought Evelyn indulgently as she watched him study each model in the toy shop with his usual eagerness and seriousness. 

In the evening, they returned home to one of Evelyn's sumptuous home-cooked meals, and then to relaxing by the fireplace. Danny Jr. was busy running around in the field with his new plane in one hand, and his old one in the other. He was looking around him fervently. _As if there was somebody he expected,_ Evelyn thought. 

*** 

Evelyn was more right than she had known. 

Danny Jr. knew his father would show up. It was his birthday, after all. He was always here on weekends, on his birthday, and on Christmas and Thanksgiving. He knew he would come today. 

It had been two years since his father had first come to him. But Danny Jr. still hadn't told him, still hadn't told his father that he knew who he was. Today was extra special. Not only was it his birthday, it would be the day he told. It would be the day he finally got to call him "Daddy". 

The five-year-old had thought about it for a long time. His one fear was that his father would stop coming to see him once he knew that his secret had been discovered. But he couldn't hold it anymore. He was about ready to burst with curiosity. _Why doesn't he want me to know? Why doesn't he want me to tell Mother and Uncle Rafe?_

Besides, he was five now. He was older. His father ought to trust him to keep a secret already, after having seen how he'd kept it for two years. 

He heard a familiar voice. "Hey Danny!" 

Danny Jr. squinted. In the distance, he saw the shadowy figure of his father waving at him. He smiled, then steeled himself as he sprinted towards him. He was going to need all the nerve he could get, to confront his father with the secret he'd been keeping for him since 1945. He gripped his toy plane tighter. He knew he could do it. 

*** 

Danny had been faithfully visiting his son and watching Rafe and Evelyn for the past few years. The guilty feeling was still present, but he had learned to ignore it. 

As Danny Jr. drew closer, Danny could see something was up. Other than it being his birthday, that was. He could see that his son was vaguely disturbed by something. "Happy Birthday, Danny," he said, drawing him in for a hug. "I brought you a present." 

He held out his hand. In it was an old, battered looking toy plane. Danny Jr.'s troubled look was momentarily displaced by one of curiosity. 

"It's my own old toy plane," explained Danny. "I want you to have it." 

Danny Jr. put his other two planes aside and picked up the one Danny offered to him. His small hand closed around its body, and as he examined it his childlike smile returned. He looked up at Danny. "Thank you," he said. 

"You're welcome," said Danny. It had been such a long time since he'd played with that plane. It would please him, he knew, to see it being used again by his son. "Want to go play with it?" 

Danny Jr. bit his lip and shook his head. "Actually, I just wanted to talk with you...Uncle Danny." 

_Aha!_ thought Danny. He'd known it! Something was wrong. "What's the matter, Danny?" he asked gently. 

Danny Jr. looked at the ground and fidgeted. "I..." 

Danny looked at him curiously. "You..." 

"I know who you really are," blurted Danny Jr., keeping his eyes fixed to the ground. 

Panic gripped Danny. _No!_ he thought. _It can't be. It can't be._ He faked a laugh. "Of course you know who I am. I'm Uncle Danny. I told you right from Day One." 

His son looked up and faced him with clear, knowing brown eyes. Danny had a sudden flashback at that moment. _I feel like I'm looking into a mirror, he thought. A mirror that shows you in your youth._

"You told me your name was Danny, but you didn't tell me who you really, truly were...Daddy," 

Danny froze with shock. His son's voice, though slightly nervous, shone through with confidence. _It's no use lying any more,_ thought Danny. _He knows._ He turned to avoid his son's penetrating gaze, and walked towards the endlessly sprawling field where they usually played in the evenings. 

Danny Jr. ran after him. "Why didn't you tell me earlier, Daddy?" 

Danny paused. _Isn't that obvious?_ he wondered. _I'm a ghost!_ He turned to look at Danny Jr. 

But his face was trusting and open. There was not a hint of fear in it. Danny began to take heart. "Danny, do you know your father's dead? That he died way back in 1942?" 

Danny Jr. nodded. 

Well, this is...interesting. thought Danny. "If he were to return to you now, he would be...a ghost," he ventured. 

Danny Jr. nodded again. "So you must be a ghost." 

_He really isn't afraid!_ thought Danny. He sighed, and raised his gaze to meet his son's. Then he smiled, silently, and gave a single affirming nod. 

*** 

_I knew it!_ thought Danny Jr. 

He was sitting with his father on the wing of Rafe's plane again. Just as they had been doing on the day they had first met. He'd tried to ask questions, but all his father seemed to want to do was sit with him, quietly. He was happy to oblige. It would also give him a chance to take in the new situation. 

Finally, his father turned to him. "I never meant to hurt you, Danny, by not telling you the truth," he started. 

Danny Jr. cocked his head to one side. "I know," he said. "But how come you didn't tell me?" 

Danny looked down at his hands and started twiddling his thumbs. "Well, I kind of thought you'd be scared of me. Because I'm, you know, dead." 

Danny Jr. laughed. He couldn't help it. "I was only three years old. That isn't old enough to start being scared yet." 

His father paused, as if caught by surprise, then started to laugh too. "That's a strange way of looking at things. Most people claim to be old enough to stop being scared." He ruffled his son's hair affectionately. "But I guess you're right. It takes a certain age before the conventions of society catch up to you." 

Danny Jr. hadn't understood all of the last sentence, but he understood that his father knew he wasn't scared. 

Danny continued. "I was also afraid that you'd tell your mother and Uncle Rafe that you'd seen me." 

"I don't understand," said Danny Jr. "Why don't you want them to see you? They miss you very much." 

His father sighed. "I know. I miss then too, Danny, more than you could ever imagine." He looked directly into his son's eyes. "But I can't let them know I'm around. Don't you see? They're perfectly happy now, and if I interfere all I'll do is upset them. Don't tell them, Danny. Please." 

Danny Jr. saw in a flash that his father was right. He was different, because he had no memories of losing his father, as his mother and Uncle Rafe had of losing a friend. "I won't tell, Daddy," he said resolutely. 

His father smiled, and gave Danny Jr. a hug. "Good boy." 

Danny Jr. watched as his father looked at the house, a tiny figure in the distance. He jumped off the plane suddenly, and took Danny Jr.'s hand in his. "Let's go back to your house, Danny," he said. "I think I'd like to look at your mother and your Uncle Rafe before the sun comes up." 

*** 

Rafe was in the livingroom, flipping idly through a photo album. Evelyn had gone up to bed earlier, but he had lingered. Somehow the idea of a memorial had really took hold of his mind and wouldn't let it go. He wondered if it was possible to petition for a committee of some sort to be set up, to see to this task of monumental importance. 

He glanced up and out of the window absently, and was about to look down again when he saw something that made his eyes widen. 

Danny Jr. was sitting on the wing of his plane, cradling a toy plane in his arms, and next to him was a familiar silhouette. The silhouette of a man he thought he would never see alive again. 

He rubbed his eyes and blinked, and the silhouette was gone. Danny Jr. had jumped off the plane and was heading back home. _I'm seeing things,_ thought Rafe. 

*** 

Danny had chosen to be invisible for the rest of the night. He stood by as Rafe tucked his son into bed, and blew Danny Jr. an unseen kiss. Then he followed Rafe as he returned to the livingroom, and watched him sit down with a piece of paper and a pen. _Rafe, writing?_ Danny wondered. The only time he had ever seen Rafe write anything willingly was when he wrote letters to Evelyn. He moved as close as he dared, and peered over curiously. 

_ Deer Sirs and Madamms, _

We the undersigned, wish to ask the Govemment of the Teritory of Hawaii to erect a memoryal to honor the lifes lost in the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7 1941... 

Danny smiled silently in pride. His best friend's spelling hadn't improved a bit, but his heart was sincere. He really was trying to make the memorial become reality. _Rafe, you're the best friend ever!_

He watched Rafe for a few more minutes as he struggled with spelling and wording, wishing he could go over and help him, and thank him. Then he faded out. 

*** 

Author's Note: 

If you've noticed, the chapters seem to be growing longer. So do the Author's Notes. I do apologise. Remember, you can always skip this and go right on the the review box. *wink*   
Anyway, hope you liked Chapter Four. I think Chapter Five will be the last of "Watching". A warning: Chapter Five is going to be making great quantum leaps in timeframe. I hope nobody minds. I'll try to make it digestible. As always, do read and review. ~HuntressMinerva 


	5. Memory

Chapter Five - Memory 

Betty had gotten used to seeing Danny pace around, but try as she might the sight of seeing him so happy was still something novel to her. Not that she didn't like it, but it was new. Danny was usually pretty moody, especially after his death. But today he had happiness written all over his face. 

"What is it, Danny?" she asked, laughing. "Get it off your chest. Spread the joy." 

Danny's eyes glowed. "He knows who I am. My son. He knows I'm his father." He smiled blissfully. "Have you any idea of how wonderful it feels to be called 'Daddy'?" 

Betty shook her head. "No, seeing as I've never been," she said, "but I can imagine. Good for you. But what are you going to do now that you've been recognised? Don't tell me you're still going back to him?" 

Danny hesitated. "Well, just one more time. I need to wrap things up, y'know?" 

Betty nodded in approval. 

Danny went on. "And if you can believe it, I have another piece of good news." He took a breath. "I think the Pearl Harbor memorial is going to become real. Rafe's writing a petition for it, and I know a lot of people are going to sign it. They can't ignore something like this!" 

Betty's eyes widened. "Oh God," she murmured. "I thought that was just a rumour!" 

"For now, it is," said Danny. "But I'm sure it isn't going to be for long." 

*** 

_November 7, 1947_

Rafe was a very busy man nowadays. For the most part of the day, he was at work. His free time was spent trying to gather signatures for his petition. Evelyn helped, but she too had her hands full at home, what with household chores and Danny Jr. There wasn't a school nearby their farm, so Evelyn had chosen to teach him everything herself. It was slow going, and sometimes tedious. Rafe's aim was for five hundred signatures - and they only had a month in which to finish. They planned to present the petition on December 7. 

Rafe was getting frustrated as he looked over the petition and counted the signatures again. _Only four hundred and twelve!_ They were still far from their target. Sighing, he threw it down on the coffee table and went out to visit Danny's grave. It always had a calming effect on him. 

He sat down in front of the headstone and cleared the dust away. "Sorry, Danny," he said aloud. "I know I haven't been coming regularly nowadays. I hope you forgive me." He paused, and touched the engraving of Danny's name lightly. "You know what, Danny?" he said in a hushed, excited voice. "I've been trying to finish up a petition to have a memorial built at Pearl Harbor. But it's tough, getting signatures." He sighed, and added softly, "I wish you could help me." 

*** 

_I wish I could too, Rafe,_ thought Danny. He'd thought of rounding up Betty and all the rest of the people who died in Pearl Harbor, and getting them to sign, but he knew that the government would never accept the signature of a dead man. He phased into invisibility, and went in search of Danny Jr. 

He found him in the usual place, near Rafe's plane in the big open field. He was running around with Danny's old plane in his hand. Danny felt a now familiar surge of fatherly pride welling up in him. He slipped into visibility. 

Danny Jr. spotted him, and a huge grin spread on his face. He ran up to Danny. "Daddy!" he cried. 

"Shh, Danny, not so loud," whispered Danny, lifting his son up and swinging him in the air. "Someone might hear you." 

"Daddy?" asked Danny Jr. "Can you do me a favour?" 

"Anything for you," said Danny as he fondly kissed his son. 

"Can you sign Uncle Rafe's petition?" 

Danny's face fell. "I can't do that. I'm dead, remember?" 

"It won't matter!" said Danny Jr. "There's going to be hundreds of signatures! They can't check all of them." 

Danny pondered. _He does have a point!_ he thought. "But just my one signature isn't going to help much, Danny." 

Danny Jr. shook his head. "Never mind, Daddy. Just do it." 

Danny nodded resolutely. "I'll do it, Danny." Then his smile faded a little. "But for now, let's just talk." He pulled the boy over to him, and bent down to his height. "I don't think I can come back any more." 

Danny Jr. looked crushed. "Why?" 

"Because you know who I am," said Danny. "And I'm supposed to be dead. It's been wrong of me to have challenged fate for such a long time, and I know you're going to grow up just fine with your mother and Uncle Rafe." 

Danny Jr. blinked a few times, and Danny could see a sudden, occasional flash of tears in his eyes. "But are you going to keep watching over us?" 

"Yes," said Danny emphatically. "You won't see me, but I'll be here whenever I can. I promise." 

*** 

Evelyn felt mentally drained. Rafe had already gone to bed. He was such a poor thing, thought Evelyn, having to contend with work and the petition, and the December 7 deadline drawing ever closer. 

She decided to go out and visit Danny's grave. Maybe talking to him would clear her head. 

She went out and sat down, facing the marble headstone. She laid a hand on it. It felt cool to the touch. It was an unusually hot and windless night. There was a shining silvery full moon in the sky. Evelyn smiled, remembering all the wonderful moonlit escapades she and Danny had had together. Those were the days, she thought, then laughed aloud. She sounded like an old woman. But how she missed those pre-war days, when all she ever knew was happiness and love, first in Rafe's arms, then in Danny's. But the war had come, and she had watched so many of her friends die needlessly. "Oh, Danny," she said, feeling tears course down her cheek. "I miss you. And I love you." 

"Evelyn." 

Her head snapped up, and she looked wildly around. That voice had been too familiar. She was about to dismiss it as a phantasm, when suddenly a figure behind a tree caught her eye. It was a person she'd known, back in those days. A man with caring brown eyes, tousled dark hair, a gentle smile, and the warmest embrace she'd ever felt. 

"Danny..." she whispered, reaching out for him. 

He nodded once and smiled. 

Then she blinked, and he was gone. 

Evelyn wondered if she'd imagined it. But she saw the leaves around the base of the tree flutter around, guided by an unnatural, unseen wind, and she knew she hadn't. 

*** 

Danny faded into invisibility, and phased into the livingroom where the petition was kept. 

He wasn't sure that showing himself to Evelyn had been the best thing to do, but he knew he hadn't been wrong. She had seemed so upset and dejected. He hoped that seeing him would set her heart at rest and stiffen her resolve. 

Hope. He smiled to himself. That was the one thing she and Rafe needed most at this time. 

_Perhaps seeing my signature on this petition will help,_ thought Danny. He opened the chest of drawers where the petition was kept. Without bothering the read it, he reached out and picked up a pen. With unsteady fingers - he hadn't had occasion to write in a long time - he signed his name. _Daniel Walker._

Danny was about to put the petition back into its drawer, but a sudden thought made him change his mind. He placed it on the coffee table, where Evelyn and Rafe were sure to see it the next day. Then he opened it to the page where his name was, and set the pen down right next to it. 

He said a silent prayer for Rafe and Evelyn. _You've got to hold on!_ he thought. _I'll be here for you._ Then he phased out completely. 

*** 

Rafe got up the next day in a gloomy mood. After breakfast, he headed for the livingroom to get the petition, and saw it lying on the coffee table. 

"That's strange," he remarked aloud. He reached down and was about to pick it up, when the signature next to the pen caught his eye and made him start. 

_Daniel Walker._

_Danny...?_ he wondered. He turned and motioned for Danny Jr. to come over. "Did you sign this?" he asked. 

Danny Jr. shook his head. "But I know who did, Uncle Rafe. My daddy did." 

Rafe stared at the name incredulously and blinked a few times in surprise. He reached forward and touched the ink to see if it really was there. "Danny..." he murmured, by now oblivious to Danny Jr.'s presence. "Oh, Danny..." 

Evelyn came in. "What's the matter, Rafe?" 

He showed her the petition, not saying anything. 

Evelyn's eyes travelled down the paper. Then they widened, and her hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes flicked upwards to look at Rafe. He nodded. "It's him." He smiled through his tears. "He came back to sign this, Evelyn." 

Evelyn's eyes filled. "I...I saw him last night, Rafe. He smiled at me. Rafe, that was when I knew everything would be alright." 

Rafe looked out of the window at Danny's distant grave, his tears now flowing freely. "Thank you, Danny," he whispered. "Thank you." 

*** 

_December 7, 1961_

It was a cold, windy night. 

Years had passed since Rafe's successful petition and Danny's final talk with his son, now a bigger, older boy of nineteen. The Arizona Memorial, built to honor all who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor, had finally been constructed. Rafe, Evelyn and Danny Jr. were at the memorial for their first ever visit. 

Danny watched, invisible, as the three of them made their way down the quiet hall. Rafe was silent, and had a look of reverence on his weathered face as he read each and every one of the names inscribed on the large wall tablet. Evelyn's expression was more pained. She cried openly and freely. Danny Jr.'s face was as a child first discovering something new and breathtaking. There was wonderment, but there was sadness as well. 

Danny watched all this. He was glad he'd been able to make a difference, all those years back when he'd signed that petition. As his precocious young son had predicted, the government had been so bowled over by the massive number of names that they hadn't chased down every single one of them for enquiry. And now here he was, walking around in the Arizona Memorial, remembering, and watching. 

*** 

_Tennessee, December 25, 1961_

Danny Jr. had always enjoyed Christmas Day as a child, and as an almost-adult of nineteen, things were no different. After their dinner, the family had relaxed by the fireplace together. But Danny Jr. felt as if there was something missing. 

_Daddy,_ he thought. _I miss you._

After he'd gone to bed, the feeling of emptiness remained, however much he tried to shake it. He normally felt like this every Christmas, but this year's feeling was especially strong. He thought he knew why. The Arizona Memorial had just been built, and seeing it had been an incredible experience for him. It made him miss his father even more, even though he didn't die at Pearl Harbor. He had, after all, been part of World War II. 

On an impulse, he jumped out of bed and rummaged about in a drawer. He pulled out a toy plane. It was the same one his father had given to him when he was a boy of five. 

He ran down the stairs and out the door as quietly as he could manage. Then he went over to his father's grave, knelt down, and laid the plane next to him. "Daddy, I miss you," he said. "Please, if you're here now..." 

He didn't have to continue further, for just then he felt an hand land lightly on his shoulder. He looked up. 

There was his father, smiling down at him. Danny Jr. smiled back. 

His father winked. Then he disappeared. 

"Thanks Daddy," said Danny Jr. aloud. "I needed that." 

He could almost feel his father's eyes smiling back at him. Watching. 

*** 

Author's Note: 

There you have it. The final, and longest chapter of "Watching". I've really enjoyed writing it, and I hope you liked reading it too. I apologise for any historical inaccuracies. I'd also like to mention here that I am merely fifteen and have no idea what an official petition looks like or how many people ought to sign it, so forgive anything that sounds farfetched, okay? Thanks! I'm going to be writing a prequel of sorts, so watch out for it, 'k? As always, read and review, and thank you to all who have stuck with this fic since Chapter One. You guys rule. ~HuntressMinerva 


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